Today’s Education in the Media blog looks at how we are tackling exclusions in schools.
Exclusions
Today, Friday 5 October, the Daily Star published an article on the exclusion rates in schools focusing on the department’s most recent exclusion figures.
Any decision to exclude a pupil from school should be reasonable and fair. Statutory guidance states that schools should consider the underlying causes of poor behaviour before excluding a pupil.
We have made it clear to schools that permanent exclusion should only ever be used as a last resort to tackle an issue.
Our review into exclusions will look at the patterns regarding figures, as well as identifying underlying issues which lead to poor behaviour.
A Department for Education spokesperson said:
Exclusions should only ever be used as a last resort, and our externally-led review of exclusions is looking at how schools use exclusions and why some groups of children are more likely to be excluded than others.
We are looking at the data we collect on exclusions, to make sure it provides timely, consistent and relevant information, in a way that reduces the administrative burdens on schools and councils. We regularly review data to help us make effective policy decisions.
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